Pop-up electronic devices particularly mobile communications devices such as for example the Nokia mobile phone model 8910 available from Nokia Mobile Phones, the assignee of the present invention, generally comprise an outer cover or shell and a phone portion including the display, keypad and selection keys. The phone portion is mechanically arranged to slide into the outer cover or shell in the phone closed position such that the keypad and selection keys are covered and inaccessible for contact. Since the keypad and selection keys are not accessible when the phone is in the closed position, there is no need for awkward or complex key-press combinations to lock or unlock the keypad. The phone portion slides out of or pops-up to reveal the keypad and selection keys for contact and operation in the phone open position. In the phone open position, the outer cover or shell provides a good handgrip while using the keypad and selection keys to operate the phone.
One drawback and disadvantage of pop-up electronic devices such as pop-up mobile phones of the above described type is the screen surface display is always accessible for contact whether the phone is in the closed position or open position and therefore a protective window is required on the phone portion over the display to protect the screen surface display from contact with the cheek when the user operates the phone in the normal manner thus any oils, cosmetics, and the like are prevented from coming into contact with the display screen surface and are deposited on the protective window surface. The protective window presents an ergonomic problem because it is always on top of the display screen and thus the specular reflections created by it deteriorate the image quality of the display in the phone open position and the phone closed position.
A further disadvantage of pop-up electronic devices such as pop-up mobile phones of the above described type is a resistive touch screen display cannot be used with because the protective window prevents contact with the screen in the device open position and the device closed position. In general, a touchscreen placed on the protective window would create unacceptable optical parallax between the stylus tip and the display.
A yet further disadvantage of pop-up electronic devices such as pop-up mobile phones of the above described type is the mechanical arrangement to provide the phone portion movement out of and into the outer cover is complex and somewhat costly and may be subject to failure or unacceptable performance over a period of time.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pop-up electronic device such as a pop-up mobile phone that overcomes the disadvantages of the known prior art pop-up electronic devices.